Rebuttal of the TTF Minority Report: Executive Summary
Rebuttal of the TTF Minority Report: Executive Summary
1)Task Force Charter and Mission:
The TTF did what it was asked to do: create guidelines for reengineering and recommend the best alternative bell schedule that allowed high schools to start later.
The TTF did compare the Recommended Bell Schedule with “no change” and voted by a large margin that the later start time schedule was preferable.
2) Cost:
The recommendations taken together are expected to be cost-neutral or save money.
Conclusion is based on comparisons with previous models costed out by consultants.
3) Traffic Concerns
Not expected to be worse than now, with school deliveries now in the thick of rush hour.
Buses now start picking students up at 5:30 am for 7 am high school dropoffs.
4 ) Interpretation and Representation of Research Studies
The Minority does not dispute that teens need more sleep and that they have a biological phase delay that makes it difficult for them to go to sleep early and get up early, as required by the current bell schedule.
Research on this is overwhelming, affects teens around the world, regardless of culture.
In other ways, the Minority ignored or mischaracterized research findings.
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI)studies used hard data to show the many benefits of later start times including increased attendance, fewer dropouts, decreased depression and daytime sleepiness, and improved relationships with parents and peers.
5 )At-Risk Students/Socio-Economic and Urban-Suburban Comparisons
Needs of disadvantaged, at-risk and special needs students were often at the forefront of TTF considerations.
The CAREI research shows important benefits that especially affect at-risk students in terms of absences, tardies and drop out rates.
Many of the negative “outcomes” listed by the Minority were actually merely initial perceptions of a few people in focus groups in the first year of transition in Minneapolis.
6) Composition of the TTF and SLEEP
Reflects decisions of the School Board to bring a wide variety of stakeholders together.
23 out of 68 members (about one-third) were FCPS employees, including 5 principals.
12 out of 68 (17.6%) represented athletics and other before- and after-school activities
SLEEP advocates were not overrepresented. (Surveys show 80% or more parents support later start times.)
The high school students who participated were supportive of later start times but were unable to vote in the end because they weren’t able to attend most weeknight meetings.
7) Full Consideration of Impacts
Negative impacts were given full consideration by the TTF. Majority members believed the long-term benefits to the health and well-being of our adolescent students far outweighed the short-term transitional difficulties.
JOBS: The current start times are particularly hard on working students, who often must work late into the evenings and have trouble staying alert in early morning classes.
SPORTS: Athletics were given tremendous consideration and weight. The preferred bell schedule puts high school on the middle tier to accommodate this important area.